FORGOTTEN BOOKS #74: CAHENA By Manly Wade Wellman

Think Xena, Warrior Princess. Or Joan of Arc. That’s the model for The Cahena, a powerful woman ruler who faces a powerful invading army. Carthage has just been sacked and now a 40,000 man army is heading to take her lands, too. Set in the Seventh Century, Cahena is mostly a historical novel told by a Saxon fighter who joins The Cahena’s forces as a strategist. His relationship with The Cahena becomes something more. The battle scenes scintillate with realism. I’ve admired Manly Wade Wellman’s versatility in writing science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, and westerns. Wellman’s Cahena is a first-rate historical novel with plenty of action and suspense. It was published by Doubleday in hardcover in 1986. I’ve never seen a paperback reprint of Cahena.

16 thoughts on “FORGOTTEN BOOKS #74: CAHENA By Manly Wade Wellman

  1. James Reasoner

    I bought a copy of this book a while back when my friend Morgan Holmes recommended it, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. It was Wellman’s last book, I believe.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      CAHENA was published in 1986, the year Manly Wade Wellman died, James. Wellman wrote well in a variety of genres. This historical novel has some supernatural elements, but the action scenes gripped me.

      Reply
  2. James Reasoner

    I’ve heard rumors that Wellman’s friend Karl Edward Wagner may have helped him with this book, but I have no idea if that’s true. With both of them gone it would be difficult to pin that down either way, I would think.

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    1. george Post author

      It wouldn’t surprise me that Karl Edward Wagner may have helped Wellman finish CAHENA, James. The battle scenes crackle with energy, just like in Wagner’s Kane books.

      Reply
  3. Richard Robinson

    Interesting that it’s labeled science fiction on the cover but is in fact an historical novel. I wonder why. I don’t pick up on any SF elements in your review, unless it’s just the fictional country and it’s ruler.

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    1. george Post author

      You have sharp eyes, Rick. Yes, CAHENA is labeled “Doubleday Science Fiction” but has as much science fiction in it as SOUTH OF SULU has. It’s just a marketing ploy.

      Reply
  4. Todd Mason

    Rick, because Doubleday was the most hidebound of publishers, and “Doubleday Sicence Fiction” Had the Contract with Wellman. Put it, and his other non-sf horror work out under that banner, and it gets a certain sale and they have to do No work to promote…and you know they sure as hell didn’t.

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    1. george Post author

      CAHENA features some mild supernatural elements, Todd. But it sure isn’t science fiction no matter what Double put on the book jacket.

      Reply
  5. karlpov

    I believe Doubleday Science Fiction was more or less subscribed to by many public libraries. The editor was given a very free reign within severe limitations of format and number of pages. However, unless a title was chosen by the Science Fiction Book Club or was reprinted in paperback, it had pretty scarce private sales. “Cahena” certainly deserves more of an audience. I have seen a pirate electronic edition on binary newsgroups.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      You can find CAHENA on many online used book web sites, Karl. I’ve never seen the paperback edition. But it’s a book well worth seeking out and reading.

      Reply
  6. karlpov

    Yes it is, and since 2001, it would certainly seem like a novel about a beautiful warrior queen resisting the Muslim hordes in favor of her own multicultural community would have taken on a certain topicality.

    BTW, back in the Bulletin Board days, I once seriously offended a Muslim contributor by using the tagline “There is also the Cahena.”

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  7. amazigh

    whatever the book tells about , the cahena leaved near where i live now….she was a shawiyan queen , from the amazigh roots. she lived in what is now batna, algeria !

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  8. Berber King

    I am a Muslim Berber, a by-product of AL KAHINA “Kahena” who stands today as the proud Algerian heritage. Her predecessors were also well known figures like Saint Augustine who’s name is used to name the oldest town in the US, St. Augustine, FL. and who also happened to be the father of the Christian Church and who’s book “the confessions” is Pop John Paul’s II favorite. Others like Massinissa, JUBA II a well known King who founded the city of modern day Cherchel-Tipasa in Algeria and married to Ptolemy daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony! Finally Albert Camus the Nobel Laureate in Literature is an Algerian/French who wrote extensively about Cherchell and Tipasa, here is a link
    http://tipaza.typepad.fr/mon_weblog/

    AL KAHINA inherited a punch of culture and wisdom from her forefathers who helped shape her kingdom Numedia which is modern day Algeria.

    And if you can tell me where I can download or find this book by Wellman, I will surely buy it.

    Here are few links for Cherchell and other arts about Algeria’s glorious past besides the Battle of Algiers of course which became even more famous when the Pentagon officials invited President Bush and VP Dick Cheney to watch the movie before the war in Iraq.

    enjoy http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalbera/2539685214/

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      You would enjoy Wellman’s CAHENA, if you can find a copy. The Berbers play an important part in the book’s plot. Thanks for the links!

      Reply

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